Nineteen Years
by ILuvSnuffles805
Summary: What happened during the nineteen years between the final battle and the Epilogue of DH? Told in 19 independent chapters that detail significant moments in the lives of Harry and his friends.
1. Chapter 1

_**Nineteen Years **_

_Disclaimer:__ I do NOT own Harry Potter or any of its characters. That honor lies with JK Rowling._

_A/N: Okay, so this is the first Harry Potter fan fiction I've written in about 5 years... so I apologize if it sucks and is very OOC!_

_A quick word about how my story will be set up:__ The chapters will vary a lot in length, POV, and emotion. Expect a little bit of everything: Romance, humor, angst, drama, and corny, feel-good stuff! The amount of time between each chapter will vary, but they are all told in chronological order and (for the most part) each will mark some sort of milestone in one or more characters' lives. (UPDATE: I've decided to put a date on each chapter, so you'll know when in the timeline the events take place)._

_**MAY 6**__**th**__**, 1998. Four days since the Battle of Hogwarts.**_

Harry yawned deeply as he sat up in bed, rubbing his half-closed eyes. The bright orange walls of his best friend's bedroom came into focus as Harry returned his scratched glasses to his face. Though he had reminded them repeatedly that he had a house of his own, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had insisted that Harry stay with them at the Burrow, and he was immensely grateful for their generosity. In truth, the thought of staying alone in the dreary confines of Number 12 Grimmauld Place was far from appealing.

Harry's eyes scanned the room, lingering momentarily over his friend's softly snoring figure, and finally rested on the neatly folded clothes which rested on Ron's dresser. Mrs. Weasley had laid their dress robes out the night before. Reluctantly, Harry swung his legs over the edge of the tiny bed and stood slowly, feeling as though he hadn't slept at all. The last four days had left him exhausted both emotionally and physically; Harry had not had a moment's peace since leaving Hogwarts. Now, he would be forced to face the hardest part of all – the funerals of his friends who had lost their lives fighting for him.

A painful, twisting sensation invaded Harry's stomach as he began pulling the heavy robes over his head. The crushing guilt had not ceased and, in fact, seemed to magnify with each passing moment. It was unbearable to think of little Teddy Lupin, the tiny godson he'd never even met, parentless, alone, and not even a year old. It was even worse to look into the eyes of the Weasleys and see the pain they tried so hard to hide. They had taken Harry in, loved him like one of their own, and all he'd given in return was hardship and pain. Harry let himself fall back onto the bed and closed his eyes, fighting back his tears. "It's all because of me…" he whispered to himself.

"You're wrong, you know." Harry jumped up as the soft voice reached his ears.

Ginny stood in the doorway, still in her pajamas and shaking her head. How long had she been standing there? She opened her mouth, looking as though she wanted to say more, but then glanced down at her sleeping brother and thought better of it. With a quick gesture for Harry to follow, she disappeared from the doorway. He stood and followed after her, though not with much enthusiasm.

After scurrying silently down the hall, they came to a halt before a door Harry had only entered once before, nearly a year ago. But to him it felt more like a lifetime. He gave Ginny a questioning look. "Hermione's already down with Mum having breakfast," She explained as though she could read Harry's thoughts. He followed her into the tiny bedroom and took a seat beside her at the end of the bed, unsure of what was coming. Harry tried very hard not to remember what had happened the last time he had entered Ginny's bedroom. Still, he felt the blood rush to his cheeks and looked down, embarrassed.

Finally, she began. "Harry," she said softly but sternly. "This has to stop."

Harry lifted his eyes from the floor at stared at her, puzzled. "What are you talking --?"

She held up a small white hand and he stopped speaking. "Please, let me finish." Ginny smiled at him gently before returning to her stern tone. "You can't carry on like this any longer, Harry… We've seen you moping about these past few days and we're starting to worry." She paused and her eyes softened. "Don't think I don't know how you're feeling, because I do… I really do. Lots of people were hurt by the basilisk my first year at Hogwarts… and for the longest time, I blamed myself. But then I real—"

"But this is _nothing_ like that, don't you see?!" Harry's cry cut her off. "People _died_ because of me, Ginny… We can't just give them some mandrake root and make it all better – They're _gone_!" He held his face in his hands, breathing heavily and trying to erase the pain. After a few moments, he felt a light, soothing touch on his shoulder.

With a deep breath, Ginny began to speak yet again. "They knew what was at risk when they decided to fight… Lupin, Tonks, Fred…" her voice faltered slightly on her brother's name. "All of them…They loved you, Harry, and they knew that you were our last hope to save the wizarding world… they would have done _anything _to make sure it happened! You were prepared to sacrifice yourself to save us, weren't you? Can't you understand that they were prepared to make that sacrifice too?" She paused. "Who are you to come in and take all the credit for what _they_ did?" She tried her best at a smile, but failed.

Without speaking, Harry finally turned to face her, his unshed tears sparkling in his eyes. He saw that hers had already begun to fall as he embraced her tightly. For a moment he thought about what she had said, about the sacrifice of his friends who had given their lives. A small part of him could not shake the feeling that he was responsible for their deaths, that if it were not for him, they would still be alive. And yet in the back of his mind, Ginny's words broke through it all, a voice of reason.

If it were not for those who had stood by him all those years, _he_ would be dead, and Voldemort would still live. The entire wizarding world would be under his control and hundreds, maybe _thousands _more would be murdered, imprisoned, or even worse. Harry shuddered to think of all that Voldemort had been capable of. And yet somehow, against all odds, they had stopped him. The final battle was won by the courage, bravery, and sacrifice of not only Harry, but all of those who had fought beside him. His friends had not died _because_ of him, but _for_ him… him and the rest of the wizarding world. They had lived as heroes, died as heroes, and would be forever remembered as heroes, just as they would have wanted.

Ginny's words had comforted him, healed him…because he had known all along that they were true. He just needed to hear them from someone else. It was as though a huge weight had been lifted from him. The pain was still there, of course… perhaps it always would be. But this was a different pain, a pain of _mourning_… not of guilt.

Ginny pulled away from him, wiping her eyes, but smiling slightly. The look in Harry's eyes told her he had finally understood. "Better?" she asked softly.

"Loads." Harry replied, a smile finding its way onto his lips. He sighed softly, marveling at how a few minutes with Ginny had strengthened him so. "You're amazing, Ginny," He breathed. "I could kiss you!"

Her smile widened and a familiar glint returned to her eyes. "Then why don't you?" She whispered.

Harry shifted closer to her, returning the smile. "Good question," he replied…and then his lips were on hers.

The weeks and months ahead would not be easy, but Harry knew one thing that would keep him going - The threat of Voldemort no longer hung over their heads; he and Ginny could finally be together again.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Sorry this story has been dead for the past EIGHT months! I've just been SO busy with my freshman year of college, it's ridiculous! But I've been doing a lot of work planning this whole thing out, so I'm back and ready for action… Hahahaha! Hope everyone continues reading and enjoying my story! I PROMISE that I won't leave it again! Don't forget to review!!!_

_**MAY 10**__**th**__**, 1998. Eight days since the Battle of Hogwarts.**_

"I swear, I can't put up with this anymore!" Ron muttered gloomily as he tugged at the collar of his too-small robes.

Harry wasn't sure whether he was referring to the terribly stuffy dress robes they were forced to wear, or the emotionally-exhausting funerals they had been attending for the past few days, one right after the other. Either way, he could sympathize. He shrugged in response to his friend's comment. Despite his conversation with Ginny, Harry hadn't felt much like talking the past several days. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.

The worst, by far, had been the day before, when the Weasleys had finally laid Fred to rest. It was unbearable for Harry to know that he would never again see Fred's smiling face, hear his laughter, or join in one of his side-splitting jokes. What was even worse was seeing the rest of the Weasleys go through so much pain. They were _his _family in so many ways; always selfless, always courageous, always loving, always loyal… what had they done to deserve this? Harry wished there was something he could do, some way that he could stop their sorrow.

Mrs. Weasley had been totally inconsolable as she clung to her weeping husband's side. Harry, Hermione, Fleur, and the other mourners hung back a bit, allowing the Weasleys some privacy to grieve alongside their children. The rest of the family stood beside their parents during the service - solemn, silent, and miserable. George alone chose to stand apart from the rest of the family. He remained very close to his twin's casket the entire time, one outstretched hand never moving from the polished wood until the time came for his brother's remains to be magically lowered into the ground.

Harry had not seen him smile once since Fred's death. He feared George would never be the same again…

"Harry," a soft voice brought him back to the present, "It's time to go…" Ginny smiled gently at him and took his hand.

"Sorry," he muttered. "I was just… thinking…"

Hermione, who had come to stand by Ron's side, glanced nervously at her friend. "Are you alright, Harry?" She asked kindly.

He smiled, half-hearted. "Yeah, I'm fine… Just a lot on my mind."

The others nodded knowingly. None of them spoke for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts. It was Ron who finally broke the silence. "We'd better get going... Mum and Dad disapparated a few minutes ago… and the others are probably there by now."

Ginny nodded toward her brother in agreement. She grasped tightly to Harry's hand while Hermione gripped Ron's, entwining her fingers with his. In pairs, the four of them disapparated to the woods just outside a small secluded cemetery. As Ron had predicted, the rest of the Weasleys were all there, waiting for them.

They broke through the trees and entered the tiny churchyard where the other mourners were already gathered. A larger, more public memorial service was planned for later in the month; today's service was much more private, with mostly Order members in attendance. Andromeda Tonks waved in welcome as they approached, trying her best to smile.

"Molly, Arthur… Thank you so much for coming," she greeted Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in turn. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be there yesterday…"

Mr. Weasley shook his head, doing his best to return her smile. "We understand… you've had a lot of things to take care of." He nodded down toward a tiny bundle Andromeda cradled in her arms. Harry realized with a jolt that this was his godson, Teddy Lupin.

As if on cue, Andromeda looked up from her grandson, her eyes meeting Harry's. They immediately softened at the sight of him. "Oh, Harry! How wonderful of you to come…" She had begun to approach him, but before she had a chance to speak any further, the group was called together to begin the service.

Harry breathed an inward sigh of relief as he followed the others toward the gravesite; the idea of meeting his godson for the first time had given him a rush of fear he could not explain. He stayed farther back from the other mourners, deep in thought. He tried with all his power to avoid the sight of the two identical caskets which held Lupin and Tonks' remains.

Harry had no doubt that they were together, that they were safe; reunited with his parents and Sirius and Moody… But were they _happy_? They had left behind their only son… They would never see him buy his first wand, or go to Hogwarts, or get married, or any of those precious moments that most new parents dream of.

And what about little Teddy? He would never feel the warmth of his mother's embrace, never go see his first Quidditch match with his father, he would never see their faces, or hear their voices… Just as Harry never had… The thought of his godson sharing that same fate made him more miserable than ever.

Once the service had ended, Tonks' mother made her way over to Harry, hastily wiping away her tears. Wanting to give their friend some privacy, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny drew back discreetly, talking quietly amongst themselves a few feet away. Harry took a deep breath as the woman drew closer.

"I'm so glad you could make it, Harry." Andromeda said sincerely. She paused a moment, her face dropping slightly. "I know Dora and Remus would be too."

Though she put on a brave face, Harry could see the deep sadness behind her eyes. "Mrs. Tonks, I'm so sorry…" He murmured in reply. For the first time, Harry realized the enormity of her loss. Her husband had been murdered mere months ago, and now her daughter and son-in-law had been taken from her as well. It seemed to Harry that everyone else around him was suffering; everyone but him.

"Thank you." She smiled. "I suppose you should start calling me Andromeda… we're practically family now." Her tiny grandson wriggled slightly in her arms as she spoke. Her smile widened a bit. "I suppose it's time for introductions… Teddy, this is your godfather, Harry Potter." Very gently, she extended her arms away from her body, angling the tiny bundle toward Harry.

He bent forward and peered down, looking at his godson for the first time. Teddy's tiny, dark brown eyes blinked curiously up at him with a sort of twinkle very reminiscent of his mother. The rest of his face was a spitting image of Remus, right down to the slight smile on his tiny, thin lips. Harry noticed with a chuckle that his soft tuft of hair was changing from turquoise to magenta every few seconds.

"Can't make up his mind, just like his mother…" Andromeda laughed softly. "Here," she said suddenly. "I'll give you two a chance to get acquainted." She held her arms out toward Harry, intending for him to take the child from her.

Harry backed away nervously. "Oh no, that's alright, really… I mean, I –" But before he could continue his protests, she had placed her grandson into his arms and headed off to greet Hagrid, who was weeping several feet away.

Harry had never held a baby before. His godson felt so tiny and helpless in his arms. He took a deep breath. "Well, uh… hello." He began uncertainly. Teddy's eyes roamed over his godfather's face as Harry continued to speak. "I know you can't understand what I'm saying but… I just want you to know that I understand what you're going through… I lost my parents too, when I was just a baby. And it was hard for me, because the people who raised me didn't love me… they never really cared about me very much at all, actually.

But things will be different for you. Your grandmother's a wonderful person, and she really loves you. She's been through a lot, but I hope you can help make things better for her..." He paused, smiling in spite of himself at his godson's round, happy face. "And you've got me," he added. "I'll always be here for you. I never met my godfather until I was thirteen years old, but I know he would have been there for me, too, if he could. We didn't have a lot of time together, but it helped so much to have him around. And I hope that maybe I can help you, too."

He extended the index finger of his free hand and held it out to Teddy, who grasped it firmly. Before he could say any more, he heard a shrill squeal at his ear.

"Oh, isn't that the cutest thing?!"Apparently the others decided he'd had enough time alone, because Hermione had suddenly appeared at his shoulder.

Ginny stood beside her, smiling. "He's absolutely precious!" She placed a small hand on Harry's shoulder. "You've got a wonderful godson, Harry."

"Yeah," Ron agreed, "And Teddy's got a pretty awesome godfather too." He grinned, clapping Harry on the back.

"Well, I learned from the best." Harry smiled wistfully, thinking of Sirius. He knew that as long as he could be even _half_ the godfather that Sirius was, little Teddy Lupin would do just fine.

He glanced over at the twin headstones that marked where Lupin and Tonks now lay. _I promise you won't regret this decision…_ He thought desperately. Harry smiled fondly at his tiny, adorable godson. _I'll take care of him._

_A/N: Yeah, I know these past two chapters were pretty serious and a bit gloomy, but I can promise you that the next three are much lighter and happier. (And they won't __all __be from Harry's POV, the first two just kind of ended up that way…)_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N:_ _Wow! It's been more than a YEAR since I've touched this story! But I've decided to come back to it, since I'm starting to catch "Potter Fever" again with HBP! I have the whole thing planned out this time, and I'm really excited about it. I promise that I will see it through to the end (it just may take a while… haha). This is one of those set-up type chapters… basically the purpose of this one is to fill you in on the trio's plans for the future. I was debating whether or not to put this chapter in or replace it with something a bit more interesting, but I decided it would provide necessary set-up for the character's futures, you know? Anyway, here it is!_

_**AUGUST 11, 1998. Three months since the Battle of Hogwarts.**_

The soft light of the setting sun cast an orangey glow over the two young men who walked briskly down the crowded sidewalk. The taller of the two was moving so swiftly he was very nearly at a jog. His companion struggled to catch up, trying very hard to ignore the strange glances they were receiving from passersby. It was a few moments before he finally managed to match his friend's pace.

"7:20." Harry said, looking up from his large golden wristwatch. He let out a brief sigh. "See, Ron? We're a good half-hour early!" He patted his friend's shoulder reassuringly. "No need to panic."

"Sorry." Ron muttered apologetically, finally slowing to a steady walk as they approached a large revolving doorway. He hesitated a moment, unfamiliar with this unusual Muggle mechanism, before stepping inside. "A bit over-excited, I guess."

"Just a bit." Harry agreed with a small chuckle. He paused for a minute or so, uncertain, as they finally entered the enormous airport lobby. Harry had never travelled by plane before and, though he had grown up with a family of Muggles, he was no more familiar with the place than Ron was. His gaze travelled over the various hanging signs and television screens above their heads for some indication of where to go.

Finally a large blue sign in the distance caught his eye. "There," Harry nudged Ron slightly and pointed down a long corridor to their right. "Gate 14 should be this way."

As he followed along behind his friend, Ron could not help but glance excitedly out each window they passed, fascinated by the comings and goings of the enormous aircraft. Despite what Hermione had insisted when he and Harry had come to see her off, Ron still refused to believe that the gigantic metal vehicles were able to fly without any sort of magic.

"Dad would go mental for this place." Ron shook his head in amazement as he took a seat beside Harry on one of the many wooden benches that filled the waiting area.

Harry nodded, laughing softly as he recalled the look on Mr. Weasley's face when they had described the Muggle airport to him. Harry could only imagine what his reaction would be if he were actually there with them.

Ron nervously glanced down at his wristwatch, sighing heavily. "Still 20 more minutes," He muttered, impatient. _Unless the flight's ahead of schedule…_ He cast a hopeful glance toward the glass doorway that separated the waiting area from the arrival gates, but, apart from a few airport employees, there was no one there.

His friend smiled sympathetically. "I miss her too, Ron," Harry said. "But she'll be here in no time."

Ron hesitated a moment, but finally smiled in return. "I'm being ridiculous, I know." He said suddenly, shaking his head. "But it's driving me mad…" He thought back on the past 6 weeks that he had spent waiting for Hermione's return. They had, of course, done their best to keep in touch, but a handful of letters sent by owl and two attempts at a telephone call (the second of which succeeded thanks to Harry's patient intervention) were not enough. "I need to see her." He said.

"And you will." Harry assured him. "In… 18 minutes." He smiled as he tapped his watch. Harry paused, thinking of some way to change the subject. He knew distracting Ron was the only way to make the next several minutes more bearable for both of them. "So, uh… how's George been doing? I've haven't seen much of him since he's gone back to work at the store."

Ron breathed deeply before speaking, pondering Harry's question. "He's… alright, I suppose." He said finally. "Definitely better since he's gotten back to work, but… well, you know how it is." He shook his head sadly. Though it had been nearly four months since Fred's death, the entire family was still having a very hard time, himself included. But no one seemed to be suffering as much as George. It was as though he had become an entirely different person; like he had lost a part of himself. Despite the old saying, Ron feared that there were some wounds time simply could not heal.

Harry sighed sadly. "Well, at least he's been able to keep busy… and he's got you around to help him." He added, smiling. "It can't be easy running an entire business on your own."

Ron's expression changed as Harry's words reached his ears. A small smile had come to his lips and his eyes glinted with fresh excitement. "I'd actually been meaning to talk to you about that." He said, his smile widening. "George and I have been talking and, well, he might want to keep me around for a bit longer than we thought –"

"Wait – You mean permanently?" Harry asked excitedly.

"I'm not sure just yet." Ron shrugged as he spoke. "I mean, I want to be able to help you and Kingsley at the Ministry."

It was Harry's turn to smile as his thoughts travelled to his Auror training, set to begin in a few short weeks. "Of course." He said, allowing himself to return to the present. "Just make sure you don't pass anything up for our sake."

"I won't." Ron assured him. "I mean, I'll stick with George as long as he needs me. I like working with him." His smile had begun to widen. "And the pay's pretty great too." _Beyond great, really_ Ron thought. Fred and George had really known what they were doing... business was positively booming.

Ron glanced down at the floor for a moment, as though bracing himself for something. "That was really what I wanted to talk to you about, actually. I know Mum and Dad don't have all that much money…" His ears began to redden slightly as he spoke. "Anyway, I've been saving up for a while, and now that I've got this job set up with George and a chance to work for the Ministry too… Well, I was sort of thinking that maybe it was time to go out on my own, you know?"

He took a deep breath before continuing. "I don't know a lot about Muggle money or anything, but I've been talking to Percy—He's been living in a Muggle neighborhood for ages… guess it's cheaper that way. Anyway, he reckons in a few months I'll have enough. I figured if I could find a good flat in London I…" He stopped suddenly, shrugging slightly. Ron shook his head, smiling sheepishly at Harry. "You must think I'm completely mental."

"Not _completely_." Harry corrected him, smiling. "I think it's brilliant, actually."

"Really?" Ron's relief was evident on his face. "I haven't said anything to Mum yet, but I've been dropping some hints to Dad lately and I think he'll be okay with it... I mean, they knew I'd be leaving home eventually, right? I can't stay with them forever."

Harry was thoughtful for a moment, considering what his friend was telling him. For the past three months, he had been dividing his time between the Burrow and Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Though he loved spending time with the Weasleys and knew that Kreacher enjoyed his company, he wondered whether it was time that he too began searching for his own place. He already had a job at the Ministry, not to mention the thousands of galleons that still remained from his parents' inheritance. "Hmm…" He muttered aloud.

Ron eyed his friend quizzically, then shrugged. "Anyway, that's only part of it…" He stared down at his feet, looking almost embarrassed. "Okay, this is where you'll _really_ think I'm mental."

"Alright," Harry said. "Try me."

His friend inhaled deeply. "Well, I've never lived by myself before, and I'm rubbish at all that girly stuff like cooking and cleaning… Mum's been nagging me about it for years." With each word, Ron's neck and ears began to blend more and more with his bright red hair. "I know we've only been dating a few months, and I know she just found her parents again… She'll probably want to spend time with them… But it'll be a few months before I find a good place anyway. Maybe it's a bit too soon, but after everything that happened last year, I just feel like… I dunno." His voice dropped to a low murmur. "I've gotta make up for lost time or something." Ron lifted his head, meeting Harry's eyes. "Mental, right?"

Harry wasn't quite sure what to say. "You want Hermione… to live with you?"

Ron nodded, his face serious. "What do you think?"

What _did_ he think? Harry pondered his friend's question seriously. Ron was 18 years old, already well beyond legal wizarding age. And Hermione… she would be 19 in September. _The same age my parents were when they got married…_ How had he and his friends grown up so fast? The thought of his two best friends getting married made him feel strangely alone. _No_, he told himself firmly. _Living together does not mean they're getting married_… _yet. _

For a moment, he thought longingly of Ginny, who still had one more year at Hogwarts. It saddened him that Ron and Hermione could begin to consider a future together while he and Ginny would, once again, have to wait. Still unsure, Harry opened his mouth to speak when something in the distance caught his eye. A small smile came to his lips.

"I think… you should ask her what _she_ thinks." Harry nodded across the room to the huge double doors that led to the arrival gates. A large crowd had begun shuffling through the doorway and, bobbing among the many unfamiliar faces, a bushy head of brown hair was headed their way.

Ron leapt to his feet in excitement as Hermione caught sight of them, waving frantically. Her smile widened with each step as she drew closer to them, finally letting her carry-on bag fall to the floor as she threw her arms around Ron's neck. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. "Hi." Ron said softly, grinning.

Hermione stretched up and pressed her lips to his a few seconds longer than most would deem appropriate. Some who passed by seemed amused or touched by this display of affection, while others were visibly scandalized. Harry merely stared down at the floor, suddenly very interested in his shoelaces. "Harry!" He lifted his head at the sound of his name and was suddenly unable to breathe as Hermione's arms squeezed him, his face temporarily lost in a sea of hair.

"It's great to see you." Harry said, as she finally released him. "How was Australia?"

"Hot." Hermione laughed as she took a seat on the bench. Ron had retrieved her bag from the floor and sat beside her.

Harry looked around expectantly for a moment. "Where are your parents?"

"Oh, Mum and Dad have gone to find our luggage. I told them I'd catch up in a bit."

Ron lifted his arm so that it rested gently over Hermione's shoulders. "You're lucky you found them." He said.

Hermione nodded. "It wasn't easy. Once I managed to track them down, I had to come up with a way to approach them, too… that was even harder. Thankfully the counter-spell wasn't that difficult. And afterwards I had to explain everything that had happened, of course." She smiled. "They're very proud of us, you know. Even they understand how dangerous it all was."

Though the smile remained on her face, Harry recognized a sudden change in Hermione's expression. "Actually, I sort of had an ulterior motive in sending Mum and Dad to get our bags… I wanted to talk to you about something."

Ron looked quite flustered. "Um… great! I, uh… wanted to talk to you about something too, actually."

Harry stood hastily, unnoticed by his friends, and went to stare out the window, watching the runway. He kept his body turned slightly toward the bench, however, trying his best to pick up pieces of the conversation.

Ron took a deep breath, trying to decide whether or not he was ready for this. "Why don't you go first?" He offered, smiling.

"Okay," Hermione stared down at her hands. "I've thought about it while I was away." There was a slight pause. "And I decided that I'm going back to Hogwarts." She glanced sideways at him, biting her lip.

Ron blinked several times , looking as though someone had slapped him. "What?"

"Term starts in a couple of weeks. And I've decided I'm going to be there." She sounded almost guilty as she spoke.

Ron shook his head, disbelieving. "But _why_? Look, Hermione, if this is about finding a job or something, you've got nothing to worry about! Have you been reading the Daily Prophet? You and me – we're practically household names now! We're the ones who helped Harry Potter defeat You-Know-Who! Don't you remember all those reporters? All the interviews?" He sounded almost wistful as he spoke. He, Hermione, and many of their friends who had played a part in Voldemort's downfall had been showered with attention and admiration the past few months.

"You don't need to pass any tests to prove you're a great witch, Hermione," He continued. A passing Muggle shot the pair a strange look as she went by. Ron made a conscious effort to lower his voice. "The minute they hear your name, you can have any job you want."

"That's probably true," Hermione agreed. She was well aware that both Ron and Harry had had no trouble finding jobs, and neither had completed their N.E.W.T.s or graduated from school. "But it's not about that… I just can't start something and never finish. You know me, Ron." She smiled gently. "And I know that if I don't go back now, I may not have another chance… and I'd probably regret it for the rest of my life."

Ron struggled to think of something to say, but knew that he would be unable to change her mind.

"I know you were hoping that we could spend more time together, now that we're… _together._" She was relieved to see a slight smile come to Ron's face. "But you can come down to Hogsmeade and visit… Harry can come too, to see your sister. And I'll even try to convince Mum and Dad to let me spend Christmas at the Burrow." Hermione's voice was pleading. She paused, as though waiting for Ron to say something.

Finally, he sighed. "If you're waiting for me to give you my permission, you won't get it, 'cause it's not mine to give… this is your choice, Hermione." He paused. "But I'm glad you told me… and I'm glad you're doing what you really want to do." Ron tried his best to hide his disappointment.

"Thank you." Hermione smiled, relieved. She took a deep breath, her demeanor visibly calmer. "So, what was it you were going to tell me?"

"Oh," Ron hesitated. "Um…" He glanced helplessly toward Harry, wishing his friend could read his mind. _What do I say?_

Harry failed to come up with something clever, so he decided to tell the truth. "Ron's started looking at flats in London…" He hesitated. "And, uh… he plans to move out of his parent's place by Christmastime." He shot Ron a significant glance as he spoke.

Hermione beamed excitedly. "That's wonderful!"

Ron was visibly confused for a moment, then the implication of Harry's words clicked into place. "Right." He said, nodding. "And now that I know you were thinking of spending Christmas at my parents' anyway… Maybe if you need a place to stay over the holiday…"

Harry turned his attention back to the window to hide his satisfied smirk.

Hermione's cheeks reddened slightly, though she was visibly pleased at the idea. "Well, I'm not sure what Mum and Dad will think of it, so it might take some convincing… But I'd love to." She leaned forward to give him a quick kiss and sighed happily. "I'm so happy to be home."

Hermione stood, still smiling, and grabbed Harry by the arm. "Come on… Mom and Dad are _so_ excited to talk to you, now that you're even _more _famous." She rolled her eyes at her parents' foolishness and laughed. "It's not like they haven't met you before." She reached over and grabbed Ron as well, then began walking. "And they've been bugging me to introduce them to you too, Ron."

"But I've met your parents loads of times!" Ron was taken aback.

"I know, but they want to meet you, you know… _officially_."

He merely shrugged in reply as Hermione began walking ahead, trying to remember the way to the baggage claim area. Ron glanced over at Harry. "Thanks for the idea, mate." He muttered. "At least I didn't look like a _complete_ idiot." He flashed his friend a quick grin.

"True," Harry agreed. "Besides, she already knows you're one anyway."

"Oh, shut up." Ron laughed as he punched his friend lightly on the shoulder. "Come on!"

They quickened their pace to catch up with Hermione, and the three friends continued downstairs to meet Mr. and Mrs. Granger.

_A/N: I'm not 100 percent happy with the way this chapter turned out, but I was so sick of working on it! Hahaha. I hope no one feels that this chapter was too out of character… I just feel like, after everything they'd been through in DH, the three of them would be a bit more grown-up emotionally than we were used to in the books. By the way, it took me WEEKS to finish that chapter, and I have no clue why. The first two and a half pages took AGES, then I wrote the last 4 in one day. So strange. Anyway, please review, and keep it constructive! The next chapter is coming SOON (I promise!)_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Thanks for reading, everyone! Here's the next one… it ended up WAYYYY longer than I expected! Hopefully you guys have the patience for long chapters! One more chapter after this take takes place so soon after the Battle of Hogwarts… then we jump forward in time! Haha. Enjoy!_

_**SEPTEMBER 1, 1998. Four months since the Battle of Hogwarts.**_

"Mum, look!"

"It's _him!"_

"I told you!"

"Stop staring!"

"What's he doing here?"

"Dad, I can see his scar!"

As he stepped away from the magical barrier, Harry tried desperately to ignore the excited whispers from the surrounding students who were gathered on Platform 9 ¾. Most of the gawking came from first and second years, whom Harry had never gone to school with. He supposed their reaction was understandable, but he still could not help feeling more than a little uncomfortable. The increase in attention he'd gained over the past few months had come as a very unwelcome surprise

Harry lifted Ginny's school trunk by the handle and continued walking, his shoulders hunched slightly in embarrassment. Ron walked beside him, pushing Hermione's school things on a small trolley. A soft, unhappy mewing was coming from the wicker basket that lay on top. Ron shushed Crookshanks impatiently.

As they walked along, Harry began to notice that, although most of the attention was on him, his was not the only name being whispered among the crowd of children. Ron's ears had begun to redden, though he was visibly pleased. Hermione, on the other hand, looked mortified. "I don't know how you can stand it, Harry." She muttered as the small group continued forward, trying to ignore the pointing and staring that followed them.

A little girl, who looked as though she were about to faint, lifted an old-fashioned camera and tried to remain unnoticed as she snapped a candid photo of Harry and his friends. As he blinked uncomfortably at the flash, Harry was reminded, for a moment, of his first encounter with Colin Creevey, whose lifeless body now lay beneath the cold earth. Rather than be amused by the girl's actions, Harry felt a twisting, sickening sensation in the pit of his stomach. He turned away from her.

"D'you suppose they're here yet?" Ron looked around expectantly for a moment.

The others' eyes roamed the platform, searching, until two familiar faces came into view through the thick steam of the Hogwarts Express. "There they are!" Ginny smiled, waving happily.

She, Harry, Hermione, and Ron headed toward the rear of the train where their friends were waiting. "We found an empty compartment!" Luna called to them brightly.

"We were wondering when you'd get here." Dean was grinning as he shook hands with Harry and Ron, then embraced the girls warmly. Like Hermione, Dean had missed his final year of school and had decided to return to Hogwarts.

"It's great to see both of you." Harry said as Luna raced forward to greet them.

"Thanks." Luna replied, giving Harry a quick hug. "You too." She smiled at him serenely.

Dean stuck his head through the open train door for a moment. "Neville! Guess who's here!"

Harry and Ron exchanged a confused glance as their beaming friend came into view.

Neville gave them a cheery wave as he stepped onto the platform. "Surprised to see me?" He asked with a small laugh.

"Um… yeah." Harry said truthfully. He and Neville had been exchanging owls for much of the summer, but never once had he mentioned coming back to school.

"It was sort of a last-minute decision," Neville confessed. "Gran reckons I spent too much time last year in hiding and not enough in the classroom… not that I could really help it or anything." He shrugged. "Anyway, she's very proud of me, of course – she's spent all summer telling anyone who'll listen about what a "hero" her grandson is – but she wants me to go back and try to get a few N.E.W.T.s while I still can. I told her it didn't matter…I reckon all I'll be able to manage is Herbology. But she wrote to Professor McGonagall anyway. I've decided to just come back for one term, so I'll be done by Christmas. I don't think anyone's ever had just half a year at Hogwarts before, but McGonagall said she'd make a special exception for me." He smiled as he spoke, though he appeared to be blushing slightly.

"That's brilliant." Harry said, returning Neville's smile. He hadn't counted on so many of his friends returning to school that year. A small part of him wished he'd be getting on the Hogwarts Express with Hermione and Ginny, but thoughts of his future with the Ministry quickly chased the idea out of his head… he was too far into his Auror training to turn back now.

Luna checked her watch. "It's almost eleven…" She muttered vaguely. "Well, we'll be seeing you two soon, I suppose." Luna gave a tiny wave of her hand toward Ron and Harry.

"Yeah, definitely." Ron replied as she hopped back onto the train.

Dean and Neville said their goodbyes as well before grabbing Hermione and Ginny's luggage and carrying it with them into the compartment.

"I guess we'd better go…" Ginny turned toward Harry, trying to conceal her unwillingness to leave. "I'll be seeing you in a few weeks then… at Hogsmeade?"

"I'll be there." Harry promised, feeling as though a large lump were stuck in his throat. The moment he'd been dreading for weeks had finally arrived.

"Miss you already." Ginny said with a small smile as she leaned forward and kissed him. Harry noted immediately that she did so with much more enthusiasm than he had been expecting. He could not help but smile slightly as her lips moved against his, relieved that Ron was too distracted to notice the sort of farewell Ginny was giving him.

"You _promise_ you'll write to me?" Ron was asking for what seemed like the thousandth time.

Hermione sighed, exasperated. "If you keep bothering me about it, then _no, _I won't_._"

"You don't mean that… do you?" Ron was visibly panicked as he spoke.

"Oh, _honestly_, Ron." She shook her head, placing her hand briefly against his cheek.

Far ahead, the train whistle blew shrilly, echoing throughout the platform. There was a flurry of activity as students scrambled through the still open doors, determined not to be left behind.

Ginny finally pulled away from Harry, though she was reluctant to do so. "Bye." She whispered, giving him a small smile before racing toward her brother and briefly throwing her arms around him. "See you in Hogsmeade, Ron!"

As Ginny climbed aboard with the others, Hermione gave Harry a quick kiss on the cheek. "Good Luck, Harry… let me know how things are going at the Ministry." She smiled at him before turning to enter the compartment behind Ginny.

"Wait!" Ron cried, grabbing Hermione by the arm and pulling her back onto the platform. "You've at least got to let me say goodbye properly." He said, smiling sheepishly.

Hermione looked slightly annoyed, but couldn't help smiling in return. "Oh, alright… but hurry – the train's about to leave!"

Ron bent forward and gave her a fumbling, clumsy kiss that was broken when Hermione pulled away from him abruptly.

"Ron, it's _moving!_"

The train had, indeed, begun pulling away from the platform. Ginny, Luna, Neville, and Dean were waving frantically out the open window. Ron swore loudly as he grabbed Hermione by the hand and began running alongside the train. He and Harry gave her a boost while Ginny and Dean grabbed her outstretched arms and pulled her through the open door.

Harry's laughter and Ron's shouted apologies still carried through the open compartment window, even after they had turned the corner.

Ginny was unable to suppress a giggle as Hermione slid into the seat beside her, shaking her head. "Go ahead and laugh." She said with a heavy sigh. "But he drives me mad sometimes."

Luna shrugged slightly from the seat across from Hermione. "Personally I thought it was rather sweet."

"Yeah, until we almost left Hermione behind." Dean said with a hearty laugh. The others couldn't help but join in.

As the laughter died away, however, an uneasy sort of silence fell over the group of friends. Ginny and Hermione had seen Luna a few times over the summer, but this was the first time they had all come together since the horrible battle last May. No one seemed quite sure what to say.

"Well…" Neville said uncertainly. "How was everyone's summer?" He asked, though he was already certain of what they would say.

Hermione's answer summed it up nicely. "Insane." She replied wearily.

Even those with the smallest involvement in the fight against Voldemort had been bombarded with unwanted attention since his downfall, but the group gathered in the compartment had undoubtedly gotten the worst of it: Dean, an innocent Muggle-born student on the run from Snatchers; Luna, forcibly taken by Death Eaters and held captive for months in a dark basement; Neville and Ginny, brave leaders of the student resistance from inside of Hogwarts; and, of course, Hermione, who had personally accompanied Harry Potter on his journey to defeat Voldemort.

It was the sort of thing the Daily Prophet reporters practically ate up, particularly Rita Skeeter. Hermione had been particularly disappointed to find that it was she who had penned most of the articles. "At least she's not making it all up this time," Ron had tried to console her. But Hermione was fairly certain that Neville and Ginny were not involved in some sort of secret love affair and that she, Hermione, had not been "cast aside in fear by her ignorant Muggle parents" and "had no choice but to reunite with her former flame on his quest to defeat the Dark Lord."

Neville sighed heavily, agreeing with Hermione. "Yeah, it's been rough for all of us, I expect."

"But what about Harry?" Dean added, shaking his head sadly. "I don't think you could pay me to be in his shoes right now."

Ginny nodded. "It's been awful." She said softly.

Their friend was now more famous than ever before. Even though months had passed since Voldemort's defeat, Harry's name had been mentioned daily on the front page of the Daily Prophet since May. Though he was already accustomed to occasional excited whispers and curious stares from strangers, they now seemed to follow him wherever he went, making going out in public an uncomfortable experience. He received dozens of owls a day from people he had never met. Many were merely expressing gratitude and admiration while others sent gifts or requested autographs (on one occasion, he had even been asked for a lock of hair, which he had tactfully declined).

This sudden rise in popularity was beginning to take its toll on Harry. Never before had his friends seen him so stressed and uncomfortable, even with the negative attention he had received three years before, when the majority of the Wizarding world believed him to be a raving lunatic.

"Well, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before it all starts calming down again." Luna said confidently.

"I hope so." Ginny sighed.

No one spoke again for several moments, each of them lost in their separate thoughts. The only sounds that reached their ears were the steady rumble of the train's engine and the occasional peal of laughter from a neighboring compartment. After a few minutes, Dean cleared his throat softly and reached hastily into his back pocket, removing an unopened pack of cards. "Erm… anyone up for a game of Exploding Snap?" He asked. "Just got a new deck." He glanced around at the others, smiling hopefully. Dean shuffled the cards as he spoke, and when no one objected, began to deal them out. Within a few minutes, the tense mood in the compartment seemed to have suddenly lifted.

After a couple of rounds, all worries of the past summer had fled, and they were laughing, joking, and enjoying themselves more than any of them had in quite some time. The hours seemed to fly by and, before they knew it, the time had come to change into their school robes as the Hogwarts Express slowed and began pulling into the station.

"I don't think I've been this nervous since my first year." Neville muttered as he lifted his bag from an overhead compartment.

"That's because you know how awful it's going to be." Ginny sighed in reply. "You heard everyone at the station…"

Dean shrugged as they stepped onto the platform of Hogwarts Station. "It's all bound to blow-over eventually. And besides, at least we can stick together… safety in numbers, and all that."

"_You _can stick together." Luna corrected him, sounding only slightly disappointed. "I'll just have to make due on my own, I suppose." She shrugged, seemingly unconcerned as she spoke.

The others were unsure of what to say. It was often very easy to forget that Luna was not a member of their House. They continued on in silence, ignoring the whispering of their fellow students as they began down the path toward the school. A clap of thunder echoed through the night air as they reached the nearest empty carriage. Neville rushed inside, keen to take cover from the dark clouds looming overhead. Hermione, Ginny, and Dean, however, hesitated a moment, staring at the unusual, horse-like beasts that surrounded them.

"I forgot we'd be able to see them now…" Hermione muttered, suppressing a shudder as the Thestral attached to their carriage turned to stare at her with its empty white eyes.

Ginny gave it an uneasy glance as she climbed into the carriage behind Neville. "Bit unsettling, aren't they?"

"_I _think they're sweet." Luna crooned, stroking the Thestral's nose briefly before joining the others.

A light rain began to fall as the carriages approached the front gates of the school. By the time they came to a stop, the skies had opened up and what began as a light drizzle became a sudden downpour. Ginny gave a brief moan of longing for her umbrella, which lay packed deep inside her school trunk.

Students rushed from all directions, splashing through puddles and racing up the slick marble steps into the welcoming warmth of the castle. Neville glanced out the carriage window at the scene before turning to the others with a slight nod. "Better make a run for it."

To their immense relief, their carriage was one of the closest to the front steps of the castle, and it was not long before they stood, panting and soaking, inside the entrance hall. Shaking her wet hair from her face, Hermione pulled out her wand and easily dried her school robes before doing the same for her friends.

The others muttered their thanks as they followed behind a dripping crowd of students into the Great Hall. They paused when they reached the doorway, noting that the four House tables already appeared to be nearly full; their carriage must have been one of the last to arrive.

Over at the Ravenclaw table, a rather large group of 6th and 7th years were smiling and waving enthusiastically toward Luna.

"I suppose we'd better let you get to your friends." Hermione said softly.

Luna shook her head, smiling as though greatly amused. "See that girl with the glasses?" she asked, glancing back toward the table.

The others followed her gaze toward a very pretty girl with glasses and long dark hair. As they watched, she slid further down the long bench, leaving an empty seat beside her. She eyed Luna meaningfully as she did so.

"That's Bridget Plympton. She's the one who started calling me 'Loony Lovegood' my first year." Luna explained. "And those two over _there_," she shifted her gaze slightly, "used to steal my things and hide them in the boy's bathroom. Oh, and there's Albert Wickliff. He talked his older brother Lionel into asking me to the Yule Ball. Father spent a fortune buying me new dress robes, but you can imagine what happened, of course… " She paused, her voice trailing off.

"No one seems to like me very much in Ravenclaw." Her voice was not bitter or angry, but very matter-of-fact. "So you see, they aren't my friends." She said simply. "Though I suppose they'll want to be, now that they've been reading the Daily Prophet all summer."

The others exchanged surprised glances. No one but Luna could speak so casually about such things. It was Ginny who finally spoke. "That's horrible," she muttered, trying to forget the days when she too used to ridicule Luna behind her back.

Her friend merely shrugged. "I've gotten quite used to it by now." She said cheerfully. "Well, I'll be seeing you all in class, I hope, now that we're all in the same year." Luna smiled serenely at them.

"Of course." Neville was still a bit shocked at what Luna had told them, but returned her smile, as did the others.

With a tiny wave of farewell, Luna headed across the room to join her House table. Without the slightest glance in their direction, she walked determinedly past her classmates, ignoring their friendly smiles and cries of greeting, and sat alone at the very end of the table, where she promptly busied herself with the latest issue of the Quibbler.

As they joined their classmates at the Gryffindor table, her friends could not suppress a distinct feeling of satisfaction at the shocked and disappointed faces of the Ravenclaws who sat across the room.

"She's really something, isn't she?" Dean muttered in admiration. The others nodded and laughed in agreement before turning their attention to the staff table, where a sopping wet Hagrid was just taking his seat. He caught Hermione's eye and beamed at her, waving one enormous hand.

A few seats away, Professor McGonagall's chair remained empty, as she was most likely busy preparing the first years for their sorting. What was puzzling, however, was that the Headmaster's chair was vacant as well. There had still been no word as to who would be taking over the position, though there had been much speculation in the Daily Prophet over the summer.

Before Hermione or the others had a chance to comment on this, however, a small door at the side of the hall opened and Professor McGonagall entered, followed by a group of terrified first years. Professor McGonagall led them to the front of the hall where she placed the Sorting Hat upon its usual three-legged stool. Neville silently noted that, aside from its usual patches and frays, the Sorting Hat appeared to be severely burned, particularly on the edges. Neville quickly chased away his unpleasant memories as the hat's brim opened wide and it began to sing.

The hat's song was very similar to those in years past, describing the founding of the school and the various qualities valued by each House. But, in what many students believed to be a first, it ended the song by commending the current Hogwarts students on the bravery and companionship they had displayed last spring and proclaimed that the school's founders would have been proud to know their students had been so united.

"Never misses a beat, does it?" Dean called over the thunderous applause.

Hermione opened her mouth to speak – no doubt about to quote a passage about the Sorting Hat from _Hogwarts, A History_ – but she was cut off by Professor McGonagall, who cleared her throat as she unrolled a heavy scroll of parchment.

"Aldridge, Joanna" was called to the front of the group and, shaking slightly, the tiny blonde girl slipped the oversized hat over her head. After a few moments' deliberation, Joanna became the first to join the Gryffindor table.

As the sorting continued, it became apparent that there was an unusual pattern in the students' placements. While there seemed to be a slight increase in the number of students being sorted into Gryffindor, there was a very noticeable decrease in the number of Slytherins. No one was sure whether this was the Sorting Hat's doing or whether more children were merely asking not to be in Slytherin. Most students, however, silently agreed that this change had some relation the events of last May.

As "Yule, Jeremy" became the last to join the Ravenclaws (he seemed particularly pleased that the last remaining seat was the one next to Luna), Professor McGonagall took her place beside the still-vacant Headmaster's chair and the plates and goblets that filled each House table were suddenly overflowing with food.

At the Gryffindor table, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Dean spent most of the meal eating in silence, enjoying the delicious dishes in front of them and trying to ignore the unwanted attention from those around them. For the most part they remained undisturbed, though halfway through dessert a nervous-looking second year asked Ginny to pass him the treacle tart that lay at her elbow. Ginny thought nothing of it as she handed the plate to the young boy, but Hermione was fairly certain she heard him whisper "That was Harry Potter's _girlfriend!"_ to those nearest him and explain to a few skeptics that he had seen them kissing on the platform before they left London.

When the plates and cups had cleared and the soft buzz of laughter and conversation throughout the hall began to die away, many students glanced uncertainly toward the staff table, where the largest and most prominent seat remained conspicuously empty. Finally, it was Professor McGonagall who rose from her seat to address the crowd.

"Good evening, students." She began. The commanding power of her voice sent everyone into immediate silence. "I would like to welcome you all back to what I'm sure will be a wonderful and productive year here at Hogwarts. Before I send you off to bed, there are a few announcements I would like to make. First, I would like to welcome two new professors who will be joining us this year." She paused, inclining her head toward the two unfamiliar faces at the table. "Professor Eggleston will be our new Muggle Studies teacher." A rather frail looking old witch inclined her head at the applause. "And Professor Scudmore will be taking the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." A fair-haired wizard, much younger than the rest of the faculty, raised a hand in greeting and smiled slightly.

"He just became an Auror," Ginny muttered to the others as the students clapped politely. "Harry says he's on-loan from the Ministry until they can find someone more permanent." She explained quickly as the applause died away.

"Secondly, as some of you may not be aware," McGonagall continued, "I have been assigned the temporary role as Headmistress of this school until the Christmas holidays, at which time Archibald Pellygrine has graciously accepted to take over as permanent Headmaster."

"One of the school governors, I knew it!" Hermione whispered quietly.

"And I'm sure you will all be pleased to know that this will have no effect on your Transfiguration lessons." Her lips curled slightly as she spoke. A few students laughed softly, while others appeared to be genuinely disappointed.

She paused, waiting for the students to settle down, before clearing her throat softly, her demeanor suddenly quite serious and somber. "Now, if you please, I would like you all to take a moment to reflect upon why you are sitting in this hall. Why you are able to return to school free from danger. Why you are able to sleep soundly in your beds at night." Everyone in the hall seemed to be holding their breaths, knowing full well what was coming.

"I am referring, of course, to the defeat of Lord Voldemort." McGonagall's voice shook slightly as she spoke the name. But there were no outbursts or cries of fright at the sound of it. Just a stunned and absolute silence. "It was in this very room," she continued, "that the Dark Lord and his followers met their downfall."

McGonagall's voice had once again begun to shake, but this time it was not out of fear. "Of course, this could not have been achieved without the sacrifice of many brave Hogwarts students, past and present, who faced death in the hope of ending an era of violence and evil. In the hope that witches and wizards like you and I would be free to live without fear. It is because of them that you are here tonight." She took a deep breath, as though trying to steady herself, but did not speak again for several moments. The hall had lapsed into a somber silence as the students reflected on the loss of so many innocent lives.

McGonagall's words had a deeper effect on some than others. Ginny held her face in her hands, trying to fight back a sudden wave of emotion. At the other end of the table, Dennis Creevey's shaking form was just visible surrounded by a group of comforting friends.

Professor McGonagall removed a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her eyes quickly before continuing. "There is one last thing I have to share with you all before you retire for the night," she said, her voice slightly thick. "As you are no doubt aware, there are also many brave students – several of them with us tonight – who fought courageously on these grounds last May." Her gaze had settled on her own House's table as she spoke. "The particularly extraordinary actions of some of these students have, understandably, drawn a considerable amount of attention these past few months."

Most of the eyes in the Great Hall were no longer focused on the Headmistress, but on a small group huddled together halfway down the Gryffindor table. At the other end of the hall, Jeremy Yule was trying desperately to make eye contact with Luna, whose gaze remained fixed upon Professor McGonagall.

"While these students undoubtedly deserve our respect and admiration, they also deserve their own peace and privacy." McGonagall continued. "Anyone who feels as though they are being pressured to speak about something they would rather not discuss or feels that their privacy is being disrespected is asked to come directly to me and I will make sure the matter is taken care of."

There was no mistaking the hint of a threat in McGonagall's voice as she spoke. She gave a tiny nod toward the tiny, blushing group of Gryffindor 7th years, who felt a sudden rush of affection for their Transfiguration professor.

"Now, I believe I've kept you all long enough." She motioned for the students to stand. "Get a good night's sleep, everyone, and good luck with your lessons."

With a great deal of shuffling and scraping of benches, the students began filing into the entrance hall and heading off to their respective common rooms. Across the sea of black-robed students, Luna gave a quick wave toward her friends before disappearing into a crowd of fellow Ravenclaws.

Neville yawned heavily, returning Luna's wave just a moment too late. "I don't know about you," He muttered sleepily to the others, "but I think I'm ready for bed."

His weary-looking friends nodded in agreement as they continued up the winding stairs. "Hold on," Dean said suddenly. "We need the password."

Thankfully they encountered a sixth year sporting a shining Prefect badge up the next stairway. He was addressing a small group of extremely pale and nervous first years. His voice trailed off, however, as Dean and the others approached him. The younger students stared at them in amazement as they drew closer. Ginny and Hermione recognized the little girl who had photographed them on Platform 9 ¾.

"Sorry," Dean mumbled awkwardly, "But, uh… do you have the new password?"

"Y-y-yeah," the Prefect stammered. "Kneazle." He looked rather frightened as he spoke.

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him. "Thanks…" She muttered as she and the others continued the climb the last set of stairs. "What was that all about?" She wondered aloud.

"I reckon he was scared." Neville said simply as they reached the entrance to the common room. Hermione muttered the password to the Fat Lady, and she gave them an unusually grand curtsy. As they entered the room, they were met with more bizarre reactions from the gathered students. While most of the first years continued to regard them with a sort of awe, many of the older students seemed determined not to glance in their direction (though they were quite aware of the group's presence).

"They know McGonagall doesn't give empty threats," Neville continued as they made their way through the crowd toward the dormitories. "I bet they're afraid if they say the wrong thing we'll go running off to tell."

"Well that's stupid." Ginny said indignantly. "Haven't we been through enough," Her voice was suddenly quite loud and many students stared in spite of themselves. "Without being treated like a bunch of freaks?"

"Shhh!" Hermione tugged Ginny's arm, her cheeks beginning to redden. "Honestly!" She sighed, frustrated.

Ginny stood her ground. "Well, given the choice, I think I'd rather be treated like some sort of celebrity than avoided like the plague."

"_I'd_ rather be treated like a normal person." Neville muttered sadly.

Dean merely shook his head. "I'm telling you, it's only a matter of time before they're on to something else." He tried to sound confident as he spoke. "Well, it's definitely past my bedtime." He grinned briefly, staring down at his watch. "See you tomorrow!" He raised a hand in farewell to the others before heading up the stairs to the boys' dormitory.

"Oi! Wait for me!" Neville called behind him. "G'night!" He gave the girls a quick smile before bounding up the stairs.

Wordlessly, Hermione and Ginny did the same, anxious for a good night's sleep. They were greeted at the top of the stairs by the familiar circular dormitory with five comfortable beds and all of their luggage waiting for them. To their enormous relief, the remaining 7th year girls were still down in the common room.

A few minutes later, they both lay in the soft, warm comfort of their beds, staring at the arched ceiling above them. A glimmer of moonlight shone through the window, giving the room a pleasant, silvery glow. Somewhere nearby, an owl hooted softly in the night and, from the foot of Hermione's bed, Crookshanks gave a tiny contented purr in his sleep. It felt so safe, so peaceful, so much like _home_. Hermione never realized just how much she had missed it.

A soft voice from the next bed broke the silence. "It'll be strange, wont' it?" Ginny whispered sleepily. "Finally having a nice, _normal_ year at Hogwarts?"

Hermione yawned heavily, closing her eyes with a soft smile. "Personally," she replied, "I'm looking forward to it."

And within moments, they were both fast asleep.

_A/N: I'm sorry that chapter was so LONG! I just really had a lot of set-up I wanted to do to put a clear picture in everyone's minds of what Hogwarts is like when Hermione & Ginny go back for their last year (since you don't get to see any more of it). But hopefully you guys can kind of imagine where everything went from here. Please R&R! Oh, and by the way, I just got an EPIC vanity plate for my car: It's QUIDTCH. Hahahaha I love it._


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: I haven't updated this story in a year and a half, but I'm back and ready to keep going :D To say that I've been busy lately would be the understatement of the century :P Between studying abroad in Spain and finishing up my last year of college, I've been ridiculously busy! But I'm back!_

_By the way, I realize that by now, there are probably a whole bunch of stories like this floating around on this site… but take a close look at the date I first published this story! I first started this FOUR DAYS after DH came out back in 2007! So even though I've been a total freakin' slacker on this thing, just remember that you're reading the "original" ;)_

_RANDOM SPECIAL NOTE: Don't forget to always check out the date at the start of each chapter! We're gonna start moving further and further into the future pretty soon. Enjoy!_

_**OCTOBER 18**__**th**__**, 1998. Five months since the Battle of Hogwarts.**_

Petunia Dursley hummed softly to herself as she placed an overflowing dish of tuna casserole into the spotless white oven. Picking up a damp cloth from the sink, she quickly busied herself with scrubbing the already-sparkling counter tops, paying special attention to the ones closest to the open kitchen window.

She craned her long neck as she wiped, listening intently. The next door neighbors had had a particularly raucous row the night before that had woken half the neighborhood. The husband's car was heard leaving around 2 o'clock in the morning and, as far as anyone could tell, it had not returned. It was just the sort of juicy, unpleasant gossip that Petunia loved so much. She had been lingering near the open window all afternoon, hoping to hear more.

At that very moment, the near-silence of the crisp afternoon air was broken, and for an instant, Petunia's face lit-up with excitement… until she realized that it was not her neighbor's shrill shrieks or the roar of a car's engine that reached her ears. The thumping wing beats and soft hooting grew louder and louder as the bird approached, headed directly toward the Dursley's kitchen window.

Petunia wanted desperately to shout out in alarm, but her voice failed her. She merely stared in horror as the large chestnut brown owl landed silently on the shining white counter top. The woman's heart began racing in her chest as a feeling of panic began to swell within her. _I thought we were free of this nonsense for good! How did it find us?_ A million questions raced through Petunia's mind. Through her shock, however, she couldn't help but note with disgust that several specks of dirt from the bird's long talons had come loose and were now sprinkled all over the counter.

She glared at the creature venomously, as though waiting for it to say something. The owl merely stared back at her calmly with its large yellow eyes. "Well, do what you want?" Petunia demanded, though she knew full well that it could not answer her. To her surprise, however, it tilted its head slowly to the side and held out one of its long legs toward her. Carefully tied to its ankle was a neatly rolled sheet of parchment.

Petunia hesitated for several moments, held back by a mixture of disgust toward the filthy creature and fear of what sort of message the mysterious letter may contain. The last thing she wanted was a reminder of her association with the Wizarding World. She continued staring into the owl's wide, intelligent gaze until it finally let out a soft, impatient hoot.

"Shhhhh!" Petunia took a step closer to the creature, in spite of herself, and glanced frantically over her shoulder toward the door to the living room, which remained slightly ajar. Beyond, she heard nothing but the soft buzz of the rugby game from the television. There was no sign that her husband or son had heard anything suspicious. _Thank God,_ she let out a soft sigh of relief. She shuddered to think of what Vernon's reaction would be if he saw the large, feathered creature sitting on the middle of their kitchen counter.

Resigned to the fact that her unwelcome guest would not leave until she read its message, she took a deep, shuddering breath, then rather unceremoniously ripped the letter from the owl's still-outstretched leg. Petunia slowly unrolled the parchment, using only the tips of her fingers, as though she were touching something filthy. Inside was a second, folded piece of yellowed newsprint, which dropped onto the countertop as she opened it. The message was very short, written in messy, cramped handwriting.

_Sorry it took so long to reach you. Things have been a bit hectic lately._

_Anyway, I just thought you'd want to know._

_-Harry_

Petunia's eyes narrowed as she read the message a second time, trying to understand its contents. _"Thought you'd want to know"…? _Her gaze fell to the second piece of parchment which lay crumpled in front of her. It was covered in elegant, black typeface. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she carefully unfolded the newspaper clipping.

A tiny gasp of surprise escaped the woman's lips as the paper fell from her hands. Staring up at Petunia was the weary and disheveled face of her nephew. It was also blinking at her, seemingly oblivious to the flurry of activity taking place over its shoulder. A crowd of happy, beaming figures were silently laughing and cheering in the background. To Harry's left stood the tall, lanky boy whose father had destroyed the Dursley's living room four years before. To his left, Petunia vaguely recognized the girl with horribly bushy hair who used to glare at her whenever she and Vernon came to retrieve their nephew at King's Cross station.

It took a few deep breaths for Petunia to collect herself, still horrified at the moving photograph before her. It had been literally more than a decade since she'd seen one, and it still gave her the shivers to even _think_ about such an unnatural abomination, let alone see it with her own eyes. Closing her eyes for a moment, Petunia steeled herself to take a second look. This time, however, she focused on the enormous, bold headline emblazoned across the top of the page: THE DARK LORD DEFEATED – THE BOY WHO LIVED SAVES WIZARDING WORLD.

Petunia stared unblinkingly at the words, confused and surprised by the strange rush of emotion that suddenly overtook her. She would never admit to anyone that she ever loved or cared her sister… especially not to herself. She had bottled away those feelings years and years ago. But nothing could ever change the fact that Lily had been her little sister. And that she had been killed unjustly and before her time. Knowing that the man who had taken her life had finally been destroyed sparked an unfamiliar emotion deep within Petunia's heart… _relief. _But there was something else – a feeling that she couldn't name. Her gaze drifted back to the weary, sheepishly smiling face of her nephew, her eyes staring into his.

She was unsure of how long she stood there, fixated on the months-old newspaper clipping, but the owl suddenly clicked its beak impatiently, snapping her back to the present. Petunia let out a soft sigh before finally turning her eyes on the creature. "Well, you've delivered your message," She said softly, still battling with the strange feelings welling inside of her. "You can leave." Judging by its expression, Petunia was fairly certain the bird would shrug at her if it could.

It took a step toward the open window. "Actually… wait." Petunia called out softly, surprising herself slightly. Her eyes fell on the white sheet of parchment which bore Harry's message. Quickly snatching a pen from the small holder on the countertop, she scribbled something on the other side.

"Here." Petunia's slightly shaking hands shoved the parchment toward the creature, which gently took the note in its large beak. "Now… get out." She made a small shoo-ing motion with her hands. The owl didn't need telling twice. With a quick flap of its enormous wings, it soared out the window and was out of sight just as quickly as it had come.

"Petunia?"

The woman nearly jumped out of her skin as her husband appeared in the doorway behind her. She quickly balled the newspaper clipping into her hand, praying he hadn't noticed it. "Yes, Vernon, dear?" The dishrag was suddenly back in her free hand as she robotically began scrubbing the large streaks of dirt off her once-pristine countertops.

"I just… thought I heard your voice…" Her husband narrowed his eyes at her, briefly glancing at the still-open kitchen window. "Everything alright?"

"Just talking to myself." She muttered, giving him a brief look from over her shoulder. "Go tell Dudley to start washing up for dinner, won't you dear?" Petunia smiled at him sweetly.

He paused for just a moment, his eyes suddenly glued to the open window. But finally, with a quick nod of his head, Vernon retreated back to the living room.

As she watched him leave, Petunia finally let out the breath she had been holding. Without hesitation, she scurried over to the garbage bin, lifted the cover, and threw the crumpled parchment inside. Petunia held her face in her hands for a moment, allowing herself a few slow, deep breaths as she composed herself. It felt as though a weight that she never knew existed had finally been lifted from her shoulders, and her heart suddenly felt lighter than it had in a long time.

Smiling to herself, Petunia returned to the counter and resumed her eavesdropping, humming the same tune that she had begun several minutes before.

XXX

"Pardon me, sir." Kreacher's gravelly voice broke the silence in the bedroom. "Master's owl has returned."

Harry sat up slowly. He had been lying on the bed that once belonged to his godfather, staring at the ceiling and silently reciting to himself a list of spells he would need to know for his upcoming Auror examination. "Thanks, Kreacher."

The tiny house elf bowed politely at him, extending a tiny, wrinkled hand which held a folded piece of parchment. Harry took it from him, his brow furrowing slightly. He had not been expecting to receive any sort of response.

"Kreacher will return when Master Weasley arrives for dinner." The elf gave a second, tiny bow before retreating from the room and descending back to the basement kitchen of number twelve Grimmauld place.

Harry turned over the slightly crumpled paper a few times before finally unfolding it, unsure of what he would find. A small smile crept to his lips and a brief feeling of warmth flooded his heart as he read the message. Inside was nothing but two simple words, written in his aunt's familiar, elegant hand: _Well done._

_A/N: I wrote the first page or so of this chapter a year ago, and didn't finish it until now! I can't believe it's been sitting on my computer for so long! This was a tricky one because I didn't want Aunt Petunia to seem terribly out of character. I've always felt like there was something deeper to her that she never let anyone else see. I tried to kind of convey that here. I thought it would be good to kind of give Harry and Aunt Petunia some "closure". Hopefully you guys liked it! Please, please, please review! :) _


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Hey guys! So some of you won't get confused while reading, yes, I have already published this chapter as a stand-alone oneshot, but it was originally intended to be a chapter of this story, so here it is, slightly edited and where it belongs! Please note that there's now going to be bigger and bigger gaps of time passing between when each chapter takes place!_

_**DECEMBER 24, 1999. One and a half years since the Battle of Hogwarts.**_

Ron's fork swirled his mashed potatoes around his plate lazily along with the rest of his untouched meal. The others at the crowded dinner table went about their regular conversation, barely noticing Ron's unease. Hermione, however, who sat at his side, placed a hand lovingly on his shoulder.

"Ron, are you alright?" she muttered, concerned. "You've hardly eaten a thing!"

He smiled at her unconvincingly. "I'm fine, _really_… Nothing to worry about!" Ron's voice shook slightly as he spoke.

His best friend, who sat at his other side, coughed softly. Ron felt Harry's leg nudge his under the table.

"Oh! Um… actually," Ron said slowly, biting his lip nervously. "I think I'll go outside for some fresh air… Would you, uh… like to…come with me…?"

Hermione's eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "It's _Christmas Eve_, Ron!" She glanced out the kitchen window briefly. "And it's still snowing!"

"Uh… well…" Ron glanced briefly at Harry, pleadingly.

"You know, Hermione… Ron _does _look a little, uh… _off-color_. I'm sure a nice walk outside is exactly what he needs." Harry said as casually as he could. "Especially if you come with him." He added.

"Well… I suppose." Hermione replied, still a little suspicious. "It's not _terribly_ cold out, and the snow looks beautiful…"

"Great!" Ron cried with too much enthusiasm. Harry shot him a look. "Uh… I mean, let's go." He reached down to grasp Hermione's hand, entwining his fingers with hers.

The conversation began to die down as the two rose from the table. Several pairs of eyes followed them as they headed toward the coat rack at the far end of the room. "We'll be back in a few minutes." Ron muttered to no one in particular. Without another word he pulled on his scarf and led Hermione out the front door.

The moment the door had closed, Mrs. Weasley leapt up from the table, unable to contain her excitement. "Do you think he's going to ask her?"

"Of course not, mum! Ronnie just fancied a private stroll through the falling snow with his girlfriend for no reason at all…" George laughed heartily.

Mr. Weasley stood and peered out through the foggy windowpane.

"Can you see them, Arthur?" Mrs. Weasley asked at her husband's side.

"Just barely, dear..."

Ginny leaned across the table toward her brother, grinning. "George, did you bring the Extendable Ears?"

"Just two… sorry." He pulled the thin, flesh-colored strings from his pocket. "I didn't realize this would turn into a group activity."

"I suppose we'll just have to share," Harry muttered, slightly ashamed of himself for wanting to spy on such a private moment between his two best friends.

Fleur smiled widely at Bill, who cradled their infant daughter, Victoire, in his arms. "Thees eez so exciting! Your baby brozzer eez growing up so fast!"

Before he could reply, Bill and the others were called toward the window by Mrs. Weasley, who had set up the Extendable Ears. "Hurry!" She said softly. "We might be missing it!"

Percy rolled his eyes. "This is ridiculous; a total invasion of privacy…" He muttered, though he rose from his chair with the rest of the family.

Ginny shushed him as she and the others formed two small clusters around the magical devices and listened closely to the conversation outside.

**XXX**

Ron and Hermione walked in silence toward the edge of the Weasley's large garden where Ron finally brought them to a stop. He stood for several moments without speaking, staring off into the trees.

_So much for a walk…_ Hermione thought, confused. "Ron, will you _please_ tell me what's wrong? You're scaring me!" She lifted her hand and placed it against his cheek gently.

He turned to face her slowly, his heart beginning to race. "Hermione," he said finally. "There's something I've been wanting to talk to you about… You see, I-"

"Is this about the other day when you accidentally blew up the vacuum and nearly destroyed the entire living room?" Hermione cut him off. "Because I've already told you, I forgive you! Besides, it was my own fault for letting you fool around with Muggle appliances…" She sighed softly.

Ron shook his head impatiently. "No, no… it's not that, it's, well… about _us_."

"Us? What do you mean, 'us'?"

Ron stared at the ground nervously. "Well… we've been together for kind of a long time… and I've been sort of… thinking about a lot of things…" He peered up at her sheepishly, gauging her reaction.

Hermione simply stared at him for several moments. Then the realization suddenly hit her. "Oh God… you're breaking up with me! I knew it!" And without warning, she burst into tears.

"What? No! No, no, no, no, no!" Frantic, Ron grabbed her by the shoulders, trying to make her look at him. "That's not it at all!"

"Don't lie to me!" She cried, suddenly angry. "Why else would you have been acting so strangely? Why couldn't you just come out and say it?"

"Will you just listen to me for _one_ second?" Ron pressed his fists against his temples, frustrated. "Ugh! You're _always_ like this!"

"Like _what?_"

"THIS! You put words in my mouth, you won't let me finish a sentence… Why won't you listen to me?"

"Oh, so I'm a loudmouth now?"

"See? You're doing it again! What is wrong with you women?

"I don't know Ronald, why don't you tell _me_? You seem to think you know _everything_!"

**XXX**

"Oh no…" Mr. Weasley shook his head sadly. "It doesn't seem to be going very well, does it?"

"Are they actually… _fighting_?" Percy asked, confused.

"Of course they are… this is Ron and Hermione we're talking about!" Harry chuckled as he spoke.

"They're always like this – all over each other one moment, at each other's throats the next… They won't be arguing for long." Ginny assured him.

"Shhh! This is getting good!" Bill grinned evilly, earning a look of disapproval from Fleur. "Sorry…" He muttered with an innocent smile.

**XXX**

"Hermione, _please_! I'm not breaking up with you… I love you!" Ron cried desperately.

She rolled her eyes in reply. "Then why are you yelling at me like this?"

"Because _you _jumped to conclusions and started screaming at _me!_"

"Oh, so now this is all _my _fault!"

Ron shook his head, unable to believe that his perfect plan had gone so wrong. He had reached his wits' end. "Look, Hermione. Yell at me all you want… I don't care!" As he spoke, he thrust his hand into his pocket. "All I wanted was to give you THIS!"

He whipped the sparkling engagement ring from his pocket and practically shoved it in her face. Hermione barely had a moment to realize what he was showing her before the force of the gesture caused it to slip from his fingers and fly several feet over Hermione's shoulder, landing out of sight in the deep snow.

"NO!" Hermione screamed as she watched the gorgeous ring disappear into the blanket of white.

They stood, staring at each other in shocked silence for a brief moment before the front door of the house burst open.

"You said _no?_" Mrs. Weasley cried, beside herself. "How could you turn down my little Ronnie?"

"Yeah, Hermione…" Ginny added as she and the rest of the family emerged from behind Mrs. Weasley. "I mean, I know he can be a real idiot sometimes, but—"

"No, it's not that!" Hermione shook her head frantically as her tears continued to fall. "It's the ring!"

"What's wrong with it?" George asked, puzzled. "Is his taste really _that_ bad?"

"Oh, zee ring! I 'ave not zeen it!" Fleur said, suddenly excited.

Ron opened his mouth to explain, but stopped himself. "Wait a minute… you were spying on us?"

George hastily shoved the Extendable Ears back into his pocket, but his brother did not miss it.

"Well, it wasn't exactly _spying_…" Mr. Weasley shrugged innocently at his son and potential daughter-in-law.

"I knew this would happen, that's why I was keeping it a secret! The only person I told was Harry and he promised he'd – Oh no. Harry, you didn't!"

His friend grinned sheepishly at the accusation. "Just Ginny!"

Ron's eyes darted toward his sister, who bit her lip.

"Well… I _may_ have said something to mum…"

"You told _mum?_ I can't believe you!"

Hermione cut in, frantic. "Hate to break up this little family chat, but we've got a bigger problem here…"

Ron's eyes widened. "She's right! The ring!"

Bill finally emerged from the house after putting his daughter in her crib. "What's wrong with the ring?" He asked, feeling as though he had missed something. "Is that why she said no?"

"No, no… it's gone!" Hermione burst. She pointed into the moonlit patch of snow behind her. "Somewhere over there!"

"Why didn't you say so in the first place? We've got to find it!" Mrs. Weasley gasped.

In an instant, ten illuminated wands began combing over the snow, searching frantically for some sign of the ring.

"Does anyone see it?"Ginny muttered anxiously.

"Nothing over here…" George shook his head. "Maybe it went farther than you thought."

"I'll check over there." Harry gestured toward the garden shed with his wand.

The search continued for a few more minutes until Hermione signaled for everyone to stop. "What on Earth are we doing?" She asked, amused by their foolishness. "Why not use a Summoning charm?"

"Wait, Hermione! I wouldn't do that – " Mr. Weasley tried to stop her, but it was too late.

"_Accio _ring!" She cried, pointing her wand in the general area of the tool shed.

There was a slight stirring beneath the snow before the ring finally broke through and began soaring toward Hermione's outstretched hand. But it was barely a foot off the ground when a shrill, high-pitched voice cried "Whee!" and a tiny object resembling a potato collided with the ring head-on and plucked it out of thin air, clutching it in its tiny, grimy hands.

"Stop him!" Ron shouted, making a lunge for the tiny creature.

The gnome was weaving in and out between everyone's legs, making its way toward a tiny hole in the garden wall.

Mr. Weasley shook his head sadly as he joined the chase, shouting over the commotion. "Those little critters have got top-notch reflexes and an unusual fondness for shiny objects… would have been better to keep searching the old fashioned way."

"Not helping, Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley cried as she began throwing stunning spells at the creature.

"Be careful, mum!" Ron shouted as he lifted himself from the snowy ground for a second time. "I spent an arm and a leg on that thing!"

"Wait, I think they've got him!" The others' heads snapped up at Percy's cry.

George, Ginny, Harry and Fleur had the tiny gnome pinned against the side of the garden shed.

"Quick, someone do something!" Hermione ran forward desperately.

"Here, catch!" Bill seized a large object from inside the shed and threw it to Harry.

The shovel came down with a heavy thud on the gnome's misshapen head. It was knocked out cold.

"Excellent!" George clapped Harry on the back and bent forward to retrieve the ring. He examined it briefly. "Hmm… nice one, little bro!"

"Thanks!" Ron smiled as his brother handed him the ring. It was still intact, but covered in muck from the gnome's filthy hands. "_Scourgify!_" Ron muttered, tapping it quickly with his wand. The mud vanished instantly and the ring once again sparkled. He let out a sigh of relief.

No one spoke for a moment. It was Hermione who finally broke the silence. She cleared her throat softly. "So Ron… there was something you wanted to, uh… _ask me_?" Hermione smiled knowingly at him.

He looked around at the rest of the family, who had formed somewhat of a circle around the couple. "So much for doing this in private…" he muttered. Slightly embarrassed by the watchful eyes of his family, Ron turned toward the woman he loved and held her hands in his. "Hermione… what I wanted to tell you tonight is that I love you. I've _always_ loved you. And, well… I might be kind of an idiot sometimes, but I _promise _I won't ever stoploving you." He paused, touched by the tears he saw glistening in Hermione's eyes.

Feeling like a character from a cheesy romance novel, he dropped down onto one knee in the cold, wet snow and held out the beautiful ring. He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. "So… I guess what I want to know is…" Ron struggled to find the right words without sounding corny. "Will you, uh… marry… Wait, no." He paused. "What I mean is, Will you be my…" He shook his head, searching for the right thing to say. Words like _marry_ and _wife_ were much too cliché and did nothing to express just how much he wanted to share with her.

He opened his mouth to try a third time but Hermione's laugh cut him off. "Can I just say 'yes'?" She asked, smiling.

Ron nodded vigorously. "Please."

"Alright… Then _yes_…"

He slipped the shimmering ring onto her finger and stood slowly, unable to wipe the grin off his face. Hermione threw her arms around his neck.

"I'm so happy… I love you so much." She whispered, pulling away from him to press her lips softly against his.

The moment they broke apart, Mrs. Weasley let out a cry of delight and raced forward, pulling Hermione into a bone-crushing hug. "Welcome to the family, dear! Oh, this is wonderful!" She gushed.

There were hugs, handshakes, and congratulations all around. It was the happiest Ron had felt in a long time. Eager to get out of the cold, they all went back inside and, after drying off and warming up, everyone returned to the table for desert.

"I can't wait to call mum and dad!" Hermione smiled, admiring her ring yet again.

Percy laughed. "Yeah, and I can't wait to write to Charlie… he'll be sorry he missed this one."

Ron patted Harry's shoulder with a smile. "Thanks for helping me pick the ring, mate… it's perfect!"

"Aha! I knew you could never pick out anything like _this _on your own!" Hermione laughed at her new fiancé teasingly. "I'm so glad you were there to make sure he didn't choose something dreadful, Harry."

Her friend shrugged, smiling. "It's the least I could do."

"Hey! For your information I chose that one all by myself!" Ron cut in hotly.

Harry chuckled under his breath. "Yeah, after I talked you out of three hideous ones…"

Ron punched his friend's shoulder jokingly and laughed. "Well I'm still grateful… remind me to return the favor sometime…" Realizing what he had said, Ron leaned forward to glance at his sister nervously. "Uh… but not for a while." He added quickly. "Right?"

Ginny laughed brightly, holding Harry's hand. "Well, not _yet_, at least."

"And don't worry," Harry whispered softly in Ginny's ear. "When the time comes, I'll make sure no one tells your mother!"

_A/N: That has been my favorite chapter to write so far! Hope you enjoyed it! Some people have complained that Hermione would have immediately thought of a Summoning Charm, but I think she would have been too panicked to think straight at first, which is why it took her a few minutes to come up with it. Please review!_


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: I know it's been 27 million years, and I apologize. But I just started a new teaching job back in September, so I have been beyond busy! But like I always say, I will never ever give up on this story, it just might be an extremely long time between chapters :P The entire story is planned out, and I've already started the next chapter, so fingers crossed that it won't be too long before the next one! This one will be kinda short (and very sad), but enjoy anyway!_

_**APRIL 1, 2003. Five years since the Battle of Hogwarts.**_

"Happy Birthday." George said softly as he plopped himself rather ungracefully onto the soft grass in front of the polished marble headstone. He reached out and brushed his hand briefly across his brother's name. A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "Twenty-five… quarter of a century! Man, we're getting old, aren't we?" He said with a lopsided grin.

"Well… not quite." He corrected himself, a small hint of sadness in his voice. "_I'm_ the one getting old. Guess you get to keep your youthful good looks forever… Lucky git." He tried to smile, and with some effort, succeeded.

"Oh, I have something for you." He reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled out a small, bright-yellow card. He placed it gently on his brother's headstone.

"Brand new product," George explained. "Looks like an innocent little birthday card, right?" A mischievous smile came to his lips as he spoke. "But anyone who opens it gets bombarded with swears and insults until it runs out of magic… unless they know the counter-spell." He paused, letting out a small laugh. "Brilliant, right? Well, maybe it doesn't sound like it… but I tried it out on Ron a couple weeks ago… His face was _priceless_. Thought he was gonna kill me…

"Anyway, I figure it might be interesting to leave it here with you. Some nosy bugger passing by might decide to take a peek…" George knew that such a trick was probably in poor taste, but it was too good an idea to resist. Plus, if someone's inconsiderate enough to touch a gift left on someone's _grave_, they deserve it, right?

He sat there in silence for a few moments, closing his eyes and letting the warm spring sun hit his face. It was a beautiful day. "Sorry it's been so long since I've stopped by." George said finally. "Things have been pretty crazy lately…"

His lips once again stretched into a wide grin before they parted, his words suddenly spilling out in excitement. "Angelina had the baby… about 3 months ago." He paused, as though waiting for some sort of reaction, though he knew one would never come.

"Ah, our little Freddy… He's amazing! Smart as a whip already, and he's definitely got your sense of humor. Wakes us up nearly every bloody night, just laughing his little head off at nothing." George chuckled to himself. "Starting to have some second thoughts on the name though… One Fred Weasley was enough for the world, dontcha think?" He teased.

"You'd love him." George added seriously. "He's the most incredible person I think I've ever met in my entire life, and he's not even four months old." He paused a moment. "I must sound completely mental, but I guess something sort of… 'changes' when you become a parent."

A small laugh escaped his lips. "A bit strange isn't it? Hearing me talk like that. I mean, _me_, out on my own, married, a kid… Did you ever think you'd-" _live to see the day…_ The words caught short in his throat. He mentally cursed himself for thinking of that particular turn of phrase. With a quick shake of the head he suppressed the unpleasant feeling in the pit of his stomach and continued.

"Speaking of kids, you should see how big Vickie's getting! Er… Victoire, I mean. Fleur hates it when I call her that," he explained. "So of course I do it all the time. I love watching Bill try not to laugh whenever she corrects me." George smiled evilly. "Anyway, little spitfire that one is. Loads of energy, gorgeous like her mum. Can't believe she'll be four next month…

"Oh, and you'll _love_ this." The wicked grin on his freckled face stretched even wider as he spoke. "Percy isn't on speaking terms with me at the moment… I decided to have a bit of fun when me and Angelina were watching Molly a few weeks ago. Little thing is finally starting to talk, and I managed to convince her that 'Da-da' was actually short for 'dummy'. Apparently she's refused to call him anything else ever since."

He shrugged, unconcerned. "Personally I think he should be thanking me… giving her a good sense of humor early-on. I just keep praying she'll turn out like her mother. Lovely woman, you'd like her. No idea what she sees in our brother, but… no accounting for taste, right?"

George could almost hear Fred's voice in his mind. "_Yeah, I mean look at Angelina…"_ He smiled again.

"Alright, let's see…" He mentally continued down the list of family members, making sure he wasn't forgetting any important pieces of news. "This summer, Charlie's supposed to be getting some sort of fancy award from the Romanian Ministry of Magic for his dragon research. Apparently he and some colleagues discovered that contracting and spreading dragon pox _is_ somehow related to dragons after all. Doesn't seem terribly impressive to me, but mum was practically in tears when she got his owl.

"Oh, and speaking of mum, she's been driving poor Ginny up a wall lately. The wedding's still more than a year away, and mum is already pestering her about every little detail and trying to run the show herself. Dad says he's been trying to talk to her, but she's not backing down." He shook his head sadly. "She wasn't nearly this crazy when the rest of us got married, but I guess it's different with Ginny. Still, I keep telling Harry they should just pack up and elope. Last time I mentioned it, he looked like he was seriously considering it."

He paused, trying to think of who he was forgetting. "Oh right… the lovebirds. Ron and Hermione are doing well… nothing very exciting to report there, still living in 'wedded bliss', I suppose. They certainly seem happy… when they aren't fighting, at least. But you know how they are.

"Mum keeps trying to drop baby hints to Hermione every chance she gets, but dad looks horrified whenever she mentions another grandkid. Guess he should have thought that one through a bit more when they decided to have seven of us, right?" He laughed. "But I think it's just an act… I don't think I've ever seen dad happier than he is with the little ones. But it sounds like it's gonna be a while before there are any baby Ronnies running around, thank God. I mean, Ron? A father? Terrifying, right?"

George was silent for several moments as the smile that had crept on his lips as he spoke slowly began to fade. He tried his best to make this visit to his twin every few months and catch him up on what he'd been missing. But with each passing year, the visits became less frequent, and George felt more and more pathetic as he carried on these one-sided conversations with a polished block of marble.

"I know it's silly to be telling you all this…" George muttered to himself. "Or to feel like I have to come _here_ to do it. I guess it just… feels good to be able to talk to you." He shrugged as he spoke, blinking away the tears that had abruptly filled his eyes. The emotion that he had been fighting back since he first walked through the cemetery gates had suddenly crept-up on him. "You should be here." George whispered.

Here he was, twenty-five years old, happily married with a beautiful child. And his brothers and sister were all doing the same… settling down, starting families, living their lives… All things that Fred would never know. It suddenly dawned on George why these visits to his brother always seemed so important. Because they were all carrying on, moving forward, growing older… And he dreaded the thought of leaving Fred behind.

George was no longer able to contain his feelings as the tears fell freely from his eyes. "I thought it was supposed to get easier." He said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "But it's getting harder… It's scary, not having you here. I feel like I'm losing you a little bit every day, and there's nothing I can do to fix it." His eyes closed slowly and he leaned forward, pressing his forehead gently against Fred's name.

It had been more than two years since he'd shed a tear about his brother's death. It was strangely comforting to be able to finally let it out. He sat there a few more moments, grateful that there was no one around to see him.

"I should go." George murmured finally, hastily wiping his eyes with his sleeve. "Birthday dinner at mum and dad's tonight. Guess I shouldn't be late for my own party." He stood slowly, reluctant to leave, but knowing he could not stay forever. "Miss you. I promise I'll come back soon."

He turned to walk away, wiping the last few tears from his eyes, when he felt something sharp and painful suddenly strike the back of his head. George swore loudly and turned around in confusion to discover that the mysterious sharp object had been the corner of Fred's birthday card. A sudden gust of wind had blown it from the headstone and directly into his head. It now lay open on the ground in front of him.

"Oi! Down here!" It shouted up at him. "Yeah, you, ye specky little – "

George paused in shock for a moment, then he couldn't help it – he burst into a sudden fit of laughter as the quiet, somber air of the cemetery was broken with a sudden stream of horrible language not suited for polite company. He let it continue for a few more seconds before pulling out his wand ("Trying to threaten me now, eh? Am I supposed to be scared, ye cheeky son of a –") and silencing the tiny little card. With a small shake of the head, he stepped forward and placed it back on Fred's grave.

"Very cute. I knew you'd appreciate it." George said with a smile, and a strange feeling of warmth seemed to wash over him.

The smile on his lips faltered ever so slightly as he spoke. "And… I love you too."

_A/N: I have very mixed feelings about that chapter, but I hope you guys liked it! I cried while I wrote the end (hahahaha) even though I feel like it's also kinda too cheesy. It was also "awkward" to write a chapter that's essentially a one-way conversation, and it's hard to gauge how George's personality would be, particularly an older/more mature George who is a husband and father. It took forever to get it to flow and sound the way I wanted it to, and I still feel like it didn't come out exactly how I intended, but I was just super anxious to get a new chapter up for you guys :P So yeah, not my best, but I hope you liked it!_

_Please review! _


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